A Twin Suns Romance, Part 1: Dropping In
by Lyrik Proz
Summary: This is a cannon speculation on how Owen and Beru met, based on the brief scene in my story, "Relish it with Good Observance".
1. Out of the Blue

**Chapter 1: Out of the Blue**

Beru quickly showered, washing the sweat and sand from her body. She was just rinsing the shampoo from her hair when suddenly parts of the ceiling fell at her feet. "Huh?"

"Woah!" THUMP!

"Ahh!" The eighteen-year-old blonde girl screamed in surprise as a young man that she did not recognize lay at her feet.

"Owen!" Two male voices, one Beru recognized as her father's, called from the roof, and she heard running footsteps from above her.

The young man she assumed was Owen moaned with his eyes closed, and ignoring her unclothed state, she kneeled down to see if he was all right. The act of lowering herself allowed the water from the shower to hit Owen's face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and blinked.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, her voice full of concern. She turned to switch off the water, and then looked back at him, gently rubbing the water from his face with her fingers. She smiled with a slight blush as she found him rather cute.

At first, Owen had trouble focusing and blinked a few times before he could see the most beautiful face he had ever seen. "Um, yeah, I think." Then his eyes widened as he realized the body this face belonged to was just as beautiful… and naked.

Several things happened at the same time at this point. First, after Beru saw the look on Owen's face, she suddenly became painfully aware she was fully exposed, and quickly grabbed a towel to wrap around herself. Second, Owen turned his face away from her and tried to get up, became extremely dizzy, vomited, and then passed out. Third, the face of Beru's father appeared at the freshly made hole in the ceiling.

"Beru, is he alright?" Her father asked in alarm.

She looked up at her father and mutely shook her head.

"We'll be right down!" He said before his head disappeared. Then he looked back down. "And Beru, get some clothes on, girl, we have guests," he said before disappearing again.

"Ok," she said quietly and looked back down at Owen. She gently rolled him over on his side, ignoring the mess, so if he vomited any more he would not choke on it. She smiled slightly as she looked down at him and caressed his cheek quickly before hopping out of the refresher then went to throw something on.


	2. Oasis

**Chapter 2: Oasis**

Owen recovered quickly, and over the next few weeks he and his father, Cliegg, came to the Whitesun household many times to help Tam, Beru's father, make much needed repairs on the roof of their home… the hole in the roof over the refresher being one of them. Cliegg Lars and Tam Whitesun had been friends since childhood until Cliegg left Tatooine two decades previously. The two happened to run into each other when Tam and the Lars men both happened to go into Bestine to get supplies they could not find in the small towns near their residences.

Owen, though usually a hard worker who focused on the task at hand, found himself pausing in his work whenever Beru came out into the courtyard. He could not stop himself from staring down at her from the rooftop. Yet, whenever he tried to speak to her, he found himself stuttering and blushing. The trouble was, whenever they were close and he looked into her eyes, his mind kept showing him i_other_/i parts of her anatomy… parts he had seen when he first laid eyes upon her. What made it worse, he felt embarrassed, not to mention nervous, looking at her when her father was so close by.

For her part, Beru thought Owen was just shy when he looked away from her as he spoke. She found him refreshing in comparison to other boys she knew who were obnoxious flirts, and took it upon herself to try to draw him out. She often poured cold refreshing drinks and brought them up to the roof for the men to drink several times a day. She would smile sweetly at Owen as she spoke, even while answering questions from her father. She tried not to be discouraged when Owen would barely smile then look away from her as he drank the drink she brought then went straight back to work.

When the work was finished, Beru felt sad when Owen left with his father. Owen felt much the same way. The looks they gave each other did not go unnoticed.

Beru's older sister, Coolie, and her fiancé, Mik, observed the two, and decided to do something about the situation. A couple days later, they decided to invite Owen and Beru out on a double date… without telling them who their date would be.

Beru was reluctant to go out on a date with her sister. She knew the type of guys Mik tended to hang out with and had a feeling she would not like any of them.

"Come on, Beru," Coolie laughed. "I promise you, you'll like this one."

"Oh, OK." Beru rolled her eyes.

Even though she was unenthusiastic at first, when it came time to get ready for the date, Beru anxiously prepared her hair several different ways, and tried on seven different outfits only to settle for the first dress and hairstyle she had modeled the first time.

"You look really nice." Coolie assured her as they took the landspeeder out to rendezvous with the boys at the agreed upon location, The Last Oasis, a bar in Anchorhead which had a small dance floor.

They went inside and Coolie waved to Mik when she spotted him. Beru tried to see who was with Mik, but the man had his back turned to her. She thought there was something familiar in the young man's build and the cut of his hair around his neck and ears. Her belly kept rolling in her nervousness as they walked over. Then as they neared, she gasped when he turned to look at her.

"Owen!" She could not keep the pleased smile from her face.

"B-beru, h-hello!" He stammered. "You look b-b-beautiful tonight. Not that you aren't always beautiful, b-b-but, um, you look… beautiful." He blushed and looked away.

"Thank you." Beru felt a pleasant warmth in her cheeks and knew she was blushing. "It's nice to see you."

"Why don't we get seated?" Mik suggested with an amused tone as he pulled a chair out for Coolie.

"Oh, yeah." Owen quickly moved to do the same for his date, hoping she did not notice his hands shaking. He swallowed as he admired Beru's graceful sway as she moved to sit in the proffered seat.

Several minutes later, the two couples watched the other patrons dance as they sipped their drinks and nibbled on some appetizers. An upbeat song was playing when Mik rose from his chair and took Coolie's hand.

"Come on, let's show them how it's done!" Mik's grin was full of merriment and mischief.

Coolie laughed as Mik swung her around on the dance floor, heedless of the other dancers who had to dodge to avoid colliding with the crazily whirling duo. They were not as impressed by Mik's prowess on the dance floor as Mik himself obviously was.

Owen and Beru laughed as they watched Mik's antics. Owen glanced over at Beru, enjoying the sound of her laughter. _iShe is so beautiful/i_ he thought. However, when she turned to smile at him, he cleared his throat and turned away. The vision of the first time he saw her once again had imposed itself in his mind's eye.

Beru frowned with a sigh. She had hoped Owen would ask her to dance.

"Hey, Beru!"

A deep voice made her jump suddenly as a man stepped up to their table. "Oh, hi, Daral!"

"What are you doing just sitting here?"

"Just watching Mik and Coolie having fun." Beru looked pointedly at Owen who had looked up at the stranger. "Daral, this is Owen. Owen, Daral."

Owen only nodded at the intruder with his lips set in a tight line.

"Nice to meet you, Owen." Daral politely held out a hand and Owen shook it perfunctorily. "Mind if I borrow Beru for a turn on the dance floor?"

Owen glanced at Beru and saw her looking at him with a hopeful expression. He shrugged and looked back at the other man. "Sure go ahead."

Beru glared at Owen before taking Daral's arm, but Owen did not see her expression because he was looking out on the dance floor, trying to convince himself he did not care that she was going off to dance with another man.

_Damn it, I want to dance with __**Owen**__ not Daral!_ She smiled at Daral as they approached the dance floor, however, and decided to try to make Owen jealous. _Perhaps he just needs a nudge to get over his shyness._ Giving momentary glances Owen's way now and again, she acted as though she was having the time of her life as she danced. Other men came to dance with her as well, and she smiled in apparent delight at each of them, throwing back her head and laughing at their lame jokes.

Meanwhile, Owen fumed quietly in his seat as he watched Beru enjoying herself with every man besides himself. He was unsure whether he was angrier with her or himself. _I don't know how to dance and I didn't ask, so what right do I have to hold her back?/i _He took a sip of his Tatooine Sunrise as he glared an imagined hole in the back of Beru's latest dance partner. _iDamn it, though, she's __**my**__ date!_

Beru smiled after looking once more at Owen. _It's working _she thought. She gasped when the man she was dancing with pulled her to him during a slow song. His breath reeked with sour whiskey, and she tried to pull away, but he held her too tightly.

"Stop it!" She exclaimed as he touched her in a spot that should only be handled in private, and only with permission. She placed both hands on the man's chest and pushed, but could not dislodge herself from his unyielding clutch. Panic gripped her heart when she could not pull away. "Please, let go of…"

Suddenly a hand was on the man's shoulder and a fist collided with his jaw, and the man let go of Beru. She almost fell to the floor when she was finally released.

"The lady said stop!" Owen glared at the larger man before him, fists clenched in rage.

The towering brute snarled as he rushed Owen with a roar and tackled him. Owen grunted in pain when air was expelled from him as he fell backwards onto a nearby table with his assailant on top of him. Most of the table's occupants quickly got up as it collapsed, plates and mugs crashing and breaking.

"Oomph, help me," cried the helpless Rodian who had not reacted fast enough, thus was pinned under the table and the two combatants. He sighed with relief after the two rolled off the broken table, pummeling each other and vying for top position. His reprieve was short-lived, however when the two rolled back on top of him, still pounding each other. A stray fist hit the scaly alien square in the snout. The Rodian's eyes crossed then rolled around rather like the googily eyes of a child's squeeze toy before he passed out cold.

Beru stood with eyes wide as she watched the two fighting, then was dismayed as others started to fight around her. She screamed when someone grabbed her arm.

"It's alright, it's me!" Coolie said from beside her, "hurry, lets get out of the way!" She led Beru towards the exit as expletives and fists flew all about them.

Beru kept craning her head around to see how Owen was faring. When she caught sight him, Owen was being squeezed around the middle by the inebriated bully, his feet dangling a couple feet off the floor. Owen was elbowing the man repeatedly to the ears and where his thick neck met his muscular shoulders. She lost sight of them as other combatants blocked her view.

She suddenly covered her ears in pain as she heard a loud metallic screeching sound. All around her, those who had been fighting had stopped to shield their auditory receptors as well. Beru looked around to see Juz Andbar, the Whiphid bouncer stood on top of the bar holding a blaster in one hand and what looked like a bantha horn in the other.

"Now that I have your attention," Juz bellowed, "you should all know, the authorities have been contacted, and whoever is still here when they come will be arrested, no exceptions!"

Mik dropped the chair with which he had just clobbered Owen's assailant opponent, and put an arm around the other's shoulders conspiratorially. "Let's go, champ, while the gettin's good!"

The two hurried to the exit, while others scurried out. The Rodian was carried out by one of his friends. The only people left in the bar by the time the authorities came were the employees and the unconscious ruffian who had last danced with Beru.

"Are you ladies alright?" Mik asked as he and Owen rejoined them outside the bar.

Coolie hugged Mik as she and Beru confirmed they were unharmed.

Relieved to see Owen, Beru hugged him briefly, then looked up to see his battered face. "Owen…" she took her scarf from around her neck to dab at his bloodied nose.

Owen winced when Beru hugged him, as his ribs felt rather tender. He pulled away from her when she dabbed at his nose and pushed her hand away. "I'm fine, thanks." He spoke more gruffly than he meant. At her hurt look, he turned to look at Mik. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem, buddy." Mik grinned as he slapped Owen on the back, "let's head over to the Weary Traveler."

"Um, I think I've had enough for today." Owen answered wearily.

"Aw, come on, the day is still young!" Mik cajoled.

"I'd like to go home." Beru said quietly as she tried not to cry. She felt really bad about her behavior in the bar, and not a little guilty about how it snowballed into a nasty brawl.

As Coolie and Mik both protested, Owen stepped in. "I'll take Beru home, and the two of you can go on to the Weary Traveler together.

"Are you sure, buddy?" Mik asked.

"Yeah, I'll make sure she gets home alright, then bring the landspeeder back so Coolie can get home later."

"Ah, don't bother coming back, I'll drop Coolie off later and pick you up."

As the two men spoke, Coolie looked at her little sister and asked quietly. "Are you alright?"

Beru only nodded, not trusting her voice.

Coolie frowned as she gave Beru a hug. "I'll take you home if you want."

"No, you go ahead and have fun with Mik. I'm fine."

A few minutes later, Beru sat beside Owen as they left Anchorhead. She looked off to her right at the meandering desert plain, feeling as desolate as the scenery.

"Are you alright?" Owen glanced at her briefly as he drove.

She looked over at him and smiled shakily. "I… I'm sorry for how I acted… before the fight."

"You mean for dancing with every man in the bar, leaving me sitting by myself?"

Though that was what she felt bad about, having him word it that way made her defensive. "Well, you could have asked me to dance, you know!"

"Well, you could have said no to those men, too!"

"And just sit around with someone who hardly says a word to me?"

Hurt and anger seemed to swallow Owen's tongue, and he stared ahead in silence. About an hour later, they arrived at the Whitesun homestead, and Owen just sat in the driver's seat after powering down the landspeeder as Beru hopped out and ran inside without a word.


	3. Talks With Mom and Dad

**Chapter 2: Talks with Mom and Dad **

A tear trickled down Beru's cheek as she entered her home. As she walked down the hallway to go to her room, a couple more tears followed the first, and she wiped them on her sleeve.

"Beru, honey, what's wrong?" Her father had just come out of the kitchen to see her crying.

"I-I don't want to talk about it right now, dad." She bit her lip to keep from crying and rushed to the room she shared with her younger sister, Dama. With the door shut behind her, she fell on her bed and wept into her pillow.

"Owen Lars, what have you done to my daughter?" Tam Whitesun bellowed as he marched purposefully toward the landspeeder.

Owen closed his eyes wearily and moaned as he leaned his head back against the driver's seat.

"And what in the twin suns happened to you?" The older man exclaimed when he caught sight of Owen's battered face. Not only was his nose noticeably swollen with dried blood on his upper lip, but also his left eye was nearly swollen shut by a nasty looking, black-and-blue bruise.

"A brawl broke out at The Last Oasis, sir." He decided to answer the last question first, hoping the other man would drop the first query.

"How's the other guy look?"

"Ugly." He conveniently left out the fact that his opponent was just as revolting before the scuffle as after.

Tam harrumphed with a slight grin. "You aren't the picture of beauty yourself."

Owen chuckled as he agreed and inwardly sighed with relief. _Perhaps I'm off the hook for now._

"What happened?" Tam's voice was serious now as he held the younger man's gaze. "Why is Beru so upset?"

Owen looked down at the steering wheel as he mumbled. "We sort of had an argument, sir."

"What was this _sort of_ argument about?"

"With all due respect, sir," Owen looked up at Tam, "it's none of your business." He did not wish to explain about how Beru had danced with just about every man in the bar or how jealous it made him.

Tam's already white hair seemed to get even whiter as his face flushed a bright crimson. He quickly opened the driver's side door. His voice was dangerously quiet as he ordered, "Get out."

Owen swallowed nervously and hastily obeyed, wincing slightly as pain shot through his ribs and right knee. The hour spent driving gave the tissue around both to swell.

He barely got out of the vehicle when Tam stepped closer to him, their noses just inches apart. His eyes bored into the younger man's eyes. "I can appreciate the fact that you may wish to keep whatever disagreement between you and Beru private," his voice was still quiet with a sharp edge, "but when my baby girl comes home in tears, it becomes _my_ business! _Do you understand me_?"

"Yes, sir," Owen swallowed nervously, but did not break eye contact. Though he had a good fifty pounds on Tam, he would rather tangle with the huge brute back at The Last Oasis again than face Beru's father like this. Nevertheless, he continued, "I understand, but I would like a chance to work things out with your daughter. If you still want to know after Beru and I have spoken, and if she _wants_ me to reveal what has made her upset, then I will."

Tam studied Owen with eyes narrowed. After what seemed an eternity to Owen, Tam nodded with a grunt as he backed off.

"Fair enough." He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Owen. Come in now, and let's put a steak on that eye. Then you can talk to Beru."

"Thank you, sir."

"And stop calling me sir," the older man exclaimed laughingly as they walked inside. "It makes me feel old. Please, call me Tam."

"Yes…" Owen stopped himself as he was about to say 'sir' again. "Yes… Tam." He finished awkwardly.

Meanwhile...

It was not too long before she heard a light knock on the door. She sat up and wiped her eyes, taking a couple deep breaths in an attempt to compose herself before shakily calling, "Come in."

Tulii Whitesun came into the room and quietly came to sit on the bed beside her daughter. She put an arm around the younger woman's shoulders and squeezed gently as Beru laid her head on her shoulder. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that!" Beru blurted as she abruptly rose from the bed. "I'm anything but sweet!" She folded her arms in front of her as she stood looking down at her mother before wailing, "I'm mean and wicked, and now he hates me!" New tears streamed down her face as she sniffled uncontrollably.

Tulii said nothing, but rose and put her arms around her daughter, pulling her into a loving maternal embrace. She held Beru until the young lady's breathing calmed. Then she pulled away enough to look into her daughter's eyes. "Tell me what happened."

Beru sighed shakily and sat back down on the side of her bed. As her mother sat across from her on Dama's bed, she began. "Well, when Coolie and I arrived at The Last Oasis, I was really happy to see my date turned out to be none other than Owen Lars!" She paused, and then frowned when her mother did not seem to be in the least bit surprised at the news of who turned out to be her blind date. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Coolie told me." Tulii smiled slightly then encouraged Beru. "Go on, what happened after that?"

"Well, we all sat at our table and after eating a little, Mik and Coolie got up to dance." She giggled a little in spite of herself as she remembered how outrageously Mik twirled Coolie around. "You know how Mik is… Owen and I both were laughing at how they were dancing, but, when I looked over at him, he turned away as he always does. I was hoping he would ask me to dance, but he didn't show any interest. I… I don't think he even likes me that much."

"Honey, I've seen how he looks at you. He definitely likes you."

"Then why did he just shrug and let Daral take me out on the dance floor?"

"Daral asked you to dance?"

"Yeah, he came over, and asked Owen if he minded, and Owen just shrugged and told us to go ahead. He didn't even care!" Beru's voice rose in indignation. "So I danced with Daral and… well, others cut in and I danced with them. I was hoping to make Owen jealous enough to come and cut in himself, but he never did… but this one man… I never saw him before, but he was _ihuge/i_… he cut in and," she gulped, "well, he was drunk, and he became too… friendly… and before I knew it, he and Owen were fighting and then almost everyone else was too!"

"Oh, my!"

"Yeah, and then afterwards, when we all got out of there, Owen's nose was bleeding, and when I tried to use my scarf to wipe some of the blood, he pulled away from me… I felt so bad because he was hurt coming to my defense… even after I acted like a complete slut and danced with every guy in the bar."

"Honey, you are not a slut! You were just dancing!"

"But I should have stayed with Owen. I was his date, after all. Anyway, I tried to apologize to him for my behavior, and he all but accused me of being a slut."

"He called you a slut?" Tulii gasped unbelieving.

"No, but, he…" she paused and shook her head. "No, he just accused me of doing what I did… dancing with everyone and leaving him by himself at the table." She blushed. "Oh, mom, it's all my fault! I only wanted to dance with Owen, but now we argued and I hurt his feelings and he hates me!"

"I doubt he hates you, honey." Tulii assured her daughter as she came over to sit next to her and put her arms around her once more. "He may be upset, but this was all just a stupid misunderstanding, I'm sure. You should talk to him. Tell him how you feel."

"B-b-but what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"Then you'll hurt for awhile, but you don't know until you bring it out into the open. Trust me though he feels the same way. I guarantee it." Tulii smiled then. "Go talk to him before your father gets a hold of him.

Beru's eyes widened as she remembered how her father had set Mik straight when he first started dating Coolie.

"Yes," her mother continued, "he's outside now, talking to Owen… at least, I think he's talking."

Tulii barely finished speaking when an alarmed Beru sprang from her bed and rushed out of the room. With a chuckle, the Whitesun matron rose and followed her daughter at a less urgent pace.


	4. Flirtatious Administrations

**Flirtatious Administrations**

Beru scarcely passed the hallway when she saw her father and Owen enter the front door and stopped in her tracks. Watching Owen limp agonizingly past her father, she wondered if it was due to something her father did, or if he hurt his leg during the barroom brawl. She gazed at her mother as the older woman calmly came to her side.

"Owen could use a bit of first aid," Tam informed them as he closed the door.

"Beru, take Owen into the refresher and I'll make a poultice for his eye and nose." Tulii spoke as she went into the kitchen.

Without thinking about it, Beru went to Owen and took him by the hand to do as her mother said. "Sit on the stool, and we'll clean off the blood." Beru spoke softly once they entered the refresher. She let go of his hand to get a soft washcloth and put it under the water.

Owen stood just inside the refresher, quietly watching Beru. His hand still tingled pleasantly where her hand had touched his, and he wished she had never let go.

After wringing the cloth just enough so it would keep from dripping all over, she turned to look up at him. "Sit down, so I can reach better." She gestured to the stool.

Owen silently obeyed, and Beru looked at him with concern as he held his ribs while lowering himself upon the stool, his face grimaced in obvious pain. She then remembered how the big man at the bar was squeezing Owen around the waist. "Once we've cleaned off the dried blood, you can take off your tunic and I'll wrap those ribs." She said as she started gently dabbing at his face.

"Ouch!" He pulled his head away.

"Be still!" She insisted as she persisted with cleaning off the dried blood.

He reached up and took her hand. "Please, let me." He said as his other hand took the cloth. He looked in the mirror as he started to clean the blood from his nose, upper lip and chin. His other hand still gently clasped hers.

Beru watched as Owen wiped his face. She understood how it did not seem to hurt as much when washing one's own injuries as when someone else did it. She also felt warmth rising within her as he held her hand, and longed for him to embrace the rest of her. She could feel herself blushing at the thought. _Silly girl, you don't even know if he wants you in that way! Yet, if he doesn't, why is he still holding my hand? _As she was thinking, she suddenly realized he was looking back at her and that he was finished cleaning the blood from his face. She lowered her gaze as she blushed slightly.

"Well now," she cleared her throat, "um, you should take off your tunic."

"Um, that won't be necessary, really," his cheeks flushed red as well. "I'm ok."

"Nonsense… I saw how you looked when you sat down. You're in a lot of pain." She reached for the belt that kept his tunic closed.

"I'll be fine, honest." He grabbed her hands.

"You'll be fine, because I'll make sure you will be." She pulled her hands away easily, for he was not holding very tight. "Now, take off your tunic." She insisted as she poked him in the ribs with a finger.

"Ouch, hey," He protested as he jumped slightly in surprise. She kept poking at him, and he tried to grab her hands again but she moved too quickly. "Ouch, stop it!"

"Not until you take off the tunic." Beru grinned.

"Ok, ok, I surrender!" He laughed even though it hurt.

"Alright, then," Beru crossed her arms in front of her and arched her eyebrows as she waited for Owen to remove the requested garment.

"You have a mean streak, woman." He had a teasing tone to his voice as he slowly took off his shirt.

She admired the well-defined muscles in his shoulders, arms and chest as they were revealed by his stripping them of their covering. "I just know how to get what I want." Beru's eyes widened and she blushed even harder than before when she realized what she had just said. To hide her embarrassment, she turned and looked in the cabinets for the bandages she needed to wrap Owen's tender ribs.

Owen looked quickly up at Beru when he detected a rather seductive timbre to her voice, but she had already turned from him. He shook his head, thinking he had only imagined it. _Wishful thinking, bub. _He thought as he finished shrugging out of his tunic with a wince.

Just then, Beru's ten-year-old sister came in. "Here is the poultice mom made," she said as she placed the tray that she was carrying on the counter. "She said she made enough for his knee and ribs, too. Daddy told her he saw Owen hold his ribs when he got out of the landspeeder." Her eyes widened when she looked at Owen. "Sand mites, Owen, that shiner is a beaut!"

Owen harrumphed before replying laughingly, "I'm glad you approve, Dama."

She grinned mischievously, "And I'm glad you're glad I approve."

"Thank you, Dama, now go." Beru said firmly as she found the bandages she needed and turned to face Owen.

"Huh, that was rude." Dama frowned at her older sister before stomping out of the room.

Beru sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling bad how she treated Dama. _I'll make it up to her later, _she thought as she opened her eyes again. She smiled almost bashfully at Owen as their eyes met.

"Um, I guess we'll put the poultice on the eye first, then your knee then ribs." She spoke as she took the lid off the smaller of the jars and used the provided spoon to get out the thick, aromatic pap. She gently spread the hot substance around Owen's eye and nose.

Owen forced himself not to pull away from Beru's gentle administrations. A large part of him enjoyed her attentions. He sat quietly, afraid if he spoke, it would break the spell under which he felt they were under. He felt her breath on his cheek as she leaned in close while dabbing on the concoction her mother had made, and he was tempted to lean towards her and kiss those soft, full lips. He barely noticed as the poultice worked its magic and the throbbing ache from his nose and eye faded.

"Ok…" Beru said as she finished with the face and she pulled away from him. "Now, let's put some on your knee." She leaned down to roll up one leg of his pants. She was dismayed when she could not roll the fabric up past his knee. Looking up at him, she blushed as she said softly, "you'll have to take off your pants." She looked to the side, too embarrassed to make eye contact.

Owen swallowed, and tried to roll his pants further up to avoid any more embarrassment, but they just would not go any further. "Um, ok, but, excuse me, I have to stand up…" He was blushing as well.

"Oh, yeah," Beru's voice squeeked humiliatingly as she straightened and backed away from him. She then turned her back to him so he could lower his pants in semi-privacy.

Owen involuntarily groaned as he rose. Then he lowered his pants, making sure his boxers stayed in place. He felt rather uncomfortable being so unclothed in Beru's presence, and fervently hoped he did not make a fool of himself. "Ok," he said as he let his pants drop to the floor, "I'm ready."

Beru turned, expecting him to be sitting once more on the stool. She swallowed as she forced herself not to give him the once over, but could not help admiring the solid strength of his upper body. "Um, sit down, please."

"Oh, yeah, ok," Owen complied with a grunt.

"Hm," Beru bit her lower lip as she thought, "maybe you should prop your leg on the counter." She winced in sympathy when she noticed the strain on his face as he did what she said. As gently as she could, she applied the thick warm paste from the other jar on his bruised knee and wrapped it with the bandages.

Owen felt warmth rise within his heart as he watched Beru's face, and found himself hoping that she felt the same affection for him as he felt for her. He longed to reach up to caress her cheek. He wanted to untie her hair bun and lovingly run his fingers through her hair. He wanted to do a lot of things to show her how he felt.

"Alright, you can lower your leg now." She said softly as she finished with his knee and turned toward him to administer the poultice to his ribs.

Owen sat with his legs apart and struggled to breathe normally as Beru plastered the pasty substance upon his ribs. He swallowed as she leaned toward him to wrap the bandages around his body. He could smell her sweet perfume, and his body betrayed his rising passion.

"Does that feel alright?" She whispered as one hand lingered on his chest.

Their eyes met as Owen placed a trembling hand upon hers. His other hand rose to stroke her cheek. "Yes, thank you." He swallowed nervously before adding. "I… I'm sorry for how I spoke to you earlier today… in the landspeeder."

Beru's pace quickened at his touch, and she had to force herself to concentrate on her reply to his apology. "I'm sorry for what I said, too." She said as she leaned her face into his caress. Her heart pounded so hard, she would not have been surprised if he could hear it. "I… I only wanted to dance with you."

Their lips were only inches apart now, and Owen leaned his head so the gap narrowed, yet found himself saying, "I don't dance." _Idiot! You stupid, stupid, idiot! _He cursed himself.

"Oh," Beru frowned as she pulled away slightly. "Why, is it some sort of religious taboo for you?" She blushed.

"No," he exclaimed, then finished awkwardly, "I just don't dance." _iYou idiot, tell her you can't dance!/i_ He told himself, but then he thought better of his own advice. _What if she doesn't want me because I can't dance? _Then he thought again, _What if she doesn't want me because I DON'T dance? Perhaps if she knows I can't dance she'll teach me…now that would be nice._

He opened his mouth to confess his severe lack of dancing proficiency, but was interrupted when Dama came running in. She danced from one foot to the other with a strained look on her face. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go!"


	5. Getting to Know You

Several minutes later, after politely thanking Tulii and Beru, Owen stepped outside. "He looked off into the distance to see if he could see any sign of a landspeeder approaching. He did not look very hard, for he doubted Mik and Coolie would be back that night.

Soon, he turned his attention from the dessert waste, and a tall flower with white and gold petals caught his eye. He leaned over and inhaled. He closed his eyes and smiled at the fragrance. "You remind me of Beru."

He sighed and continued to talk to the flower as though it were Beru. "I wish I had the words to say what you mean to me. I'm not sure how you'll take this, but there hasn't been a night since we met I didn't dream of being with you. You are so beautiful. When you smile at me, my soul feels… I know this will sound weird… but, it feels like my soul is on fire, yet soothed at the same time… like a parched man in the desert finding an oasis and finally able to drink water. That's what you are to me, Beru," he cupped the flower in one hand, his first and second fingers on either side of the stem, "you are my water."

"I love you, too."

Owen jumped at the quiet voice behind him. "B-beru! I-i…" he sputtered as he turned to her, inadvertently breaking the flower off the stem. "Oh, no! I'm sorry, I…"

Beru smiled serenely as she gently placed a finger on his lips. She caressed his cheek, "It's alright, Owen, it will grow back."

"Um, how much did you hear?" He wondered.

"From when you told the flower it reminded you of me." She confessed with a slight tinge of humor in her voice.

"Oh." He swallowed nervously.

A mischievous glint lit her eyes as her face took on a mock thoughtful expression. "I'm not sure how to take it… that you'd rather speak to the flower than me."

Owen smiled slightly. "Perhaps it's because I know the flower won't tease me."

Beru giggled for a moment.

The small smile was still upon his lips as he reached up and put the blossom in her hair. "There… now I can speak to both of you at the same time." He said in a husky voice as they gazed into each other's eyes. "Beru," he whispered questioningly.

"Yes?" She whispered as well.

"Back at the bar…"

Beru averted her gaze as she backed away from him. "I'd rather forget about what happened there."

"Beru," he took her hand and gently put his other hand under her chin. Turning her head so she looked back up at him, he continued. "The reason I didn't ask you to dance is I can't. I have about as much rhythm as a bantha with its tail caught on fire."

She covered her mouth when she could not keep from giggling. "I'm sorry, but that's quite an image."

He chuckled as he conceded, "Yes, I guess it is, but it's true."

"I doubt that." She smiled up at him.

"Are you calling me a liar?" He raised his eyebrows in feigned offense.

"Never," she whispered. She squeezed his hand, which still held hers. "Maybe, if you don't know how to dance, I can teach you." She stepped closer to him.

"I'd like that."

Beru placed his hand on her waist and reached up to put her hand on his shoulder. "You start out most slow dances like this," she said as she took his hand with her other hand as their eyes locked on each other's.

Owen stepped closer to her and leaned his head down slowly. "I think I'm going to enjoy this lesson."

Beru held her breath in anticipation as she rose on the tip of her toes. Both she and Owen closed their eyes as their lips came closer to touching.

"It would be easier to teach him to dance if there were some music."

"Oh, Dama, must you keep interrupting?" Beru's voice rose in exasperation as she turned toward her sister.

The youngest of the Whitesun girls pouted as she said defensively, "You don't have to kill the messenger! Daddy sent me out to tell you he's turning on the shields now." With that, she turned to go back inside, mumbling something neither Beru nor Owen could quite catch.

Regretting talking to Dama the way she did, Beru sighed before calling after her sister. "I'm sorry, Dama!" Her shoulders slumped slightly when there was no reply.

Owen placed a hand on Beru's shoulder to comfort her. He tried to give her an encouraging smile when she looked up at him and spoke quietly. "She'll forgive you." Beru looked so sorrowful, he could not help but kiss her on the forehead as he embraced her. "Come on, let's go inside."

Beru returned Owen's embrace, relishing having his strong arms around her. "Ok," she looked up at him, "but first things first." She reached behind his head and pulled it down as she went onto the tips of her toes once more, and kissed him full on the lips.

Eyes widening in surprise, it took a moment for Owen to respond. When he did, it was with much enthusiasm. His heart beat wildly as exhilaration coursed through his veins.

Seconds later, they pulled away from each other and stared deeply into each other's eyes. "I love you." They said in unison. "I love you, too," they both replied to each other at the same time, and then started laughing.

Owen leaned his head forward to rest against hers with a sigh. "We'd better go inside." He lightly caressed her cheek.

Beru smiled and took his hand as she slowly pulled away. They walked inside together, their fingers entwined.

Once inside, Tulii greeted them from the kitchen doorway. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Owen closed his eyes as he inhaled the enticing aroma wafting from the kitchen. "Is that spiced bantha rump?" He all but drooled in anticipation as his stomach growled.

"It sure is," Tulii's voice held both pleasure and amusement at his reaction.

Beru gently squeezed Owen's hand before letting go and headed toward the kitchen. "I'll set the table."

"Dama has already started doing that. Why don't you show Owen to Coolie's room?" She rolled her eyes as she explained, "I doubt she and Mik will be back tonight, so that's where you can sleep."

Owen nodded in understanding. "Yes, ma'am." He followed Beru down the hall to Coolie's room.

As she led him there, she tapped a door. "That's Dama's and my room." A little further, she indicated another door. "This, as you know is the refresher. It also has doors directly to my room on one side and Coolie's on the other." She looked at him and blushed slightly. The next door was Coolie's room. She opened the door and stood slightly to the side, looking up at him a little shyly. "Here it is."

Owen glanced back down the hallway before taking Beru's hand and guiding her in with him. He closed the door behind them. Still holding her hand, he reached up, brushed a stray hair from her face, and traced her cheek with his fingers.

Trembling at his touch, Beru could hardly breathe. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward to kiss her, and she placed a hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating rapidly through his tunic, and marveled that her heart beat in rhythm with his. She moaned in pleasure as he put his arms around her to pull her close, and her hand rose to caress his cheek.

Owen's heart leapt in his chest as he felt Beru's tongue explore his lips. He flicked his tongue across hers, as he lowered one hand to the small of her back. Breathing heavily, he pulled his head away, reluctantly breaking the kiss. Looking deeply into her incredibly bright, sky blue eyes, he whispered, "Beru, we need to talk."

"Alright," Beru frowned slightly in puzzlement. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Owen shook his head and smiled reassuringly as he took her hand. He led her over to sit on the edge of the bed. Sitting beside her, he continued. "I um, just thought we should get to know each other a little… I mean before we take this any further."

The fact that they were sitting upon a bed was not lost on her, and her heart was still beating rapidly because of their passionate kiss. She glanced at the bed, then back up at Owen with a blush.

"Um, yeah, well, there's nowhere else to sit in here," he guessed what she was thinking, "and I wanted to speak with you in private."

When Beru nodded understanding, he continued. "I um," he swallowed, "well, you know I'm attracted to you."

"Yes," she said quietly.

"And," he drew out the 'a' in and, "I'm fairly certain you are attracted to me." His thumb lightly stroked the hand he was holding.

She swallowed as she nodded quietly.

"Well, I wanted to make sure you know… I don't just want to just um…" he glanced at the bed and back at her meaningfully. "I love you, and I want more than that." He reached up to caress her cheek.

Beru closed her eyes with a soft smile. She reached up and touched the back of his hand, turning her head slightly to kiss his palm. "I love you, too."

He brought the hand he was holding up between them, and at the same time took her other hand. He brought her two hands together, clasping them gently in his. He brought them both up to his lips and kissed her fingers. "I just think we should get to know each other before we do something that could change the rest of our lives."

She looked into his eyes as she replied, "You're right… so, I guess we should ask each other questions?"

"That would be a good start, but will only work if we are both honest in our answers."

"I'll never lie to you, Owen."

"Well, I can't really make that promise." He grinned a little as he said it.

Beru raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

He blushed slightly as he answered, "Well, I've learned it is better to lie a little sometimes to spare people's feelings."

"I'd rather you be honest with me."

They starred into each other's eyes for a few moments before Owen nodded. "Ok, I promise."

"You first, then." She smiled.

"Huh?"

"You ask a question first." She giggled.

"Oh, yeah…um…" Owen thought a moment. He did not wish to begin with the hard questions, so he asked, "What's you're favorite color?"

"Let's see…" Beru took one hand out of Owen's grasp to put a finger against her chin as she thought. "I like crimson."

"Crimson?" Owen looked at her sideways. "What kind of color is that?"

"Well, if you're going to make fun of my favorite color…" She folded her arms and turned her back to him. Though he could not see it, her eyes sparkled with amusement, and she fought hard not to laugh.

"No, Beru, I wasn't making fun…" he said in alarm, "I um… I'm just not sure what shade crimson is exactly. I'm sorry," he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, "I… I'm just a stupid farmboy." He took his hand off her shoulder. He looked sullenly down at both his hands in his lap.

Beru turned back towards him. "Oh, Owen," she put a hand on top of his and placed her other hand on his cheek. "You are _not_ stupid!"

He looked up at her. "I feel stupid."

His sorrowful eyes and the dejected sound of his voice broke her heart. "I'm sorry, Owen, I was only teasing when I turned my back… I wasn't really offended… I… didn't mean to make you feel stupid." She put her hands in her lap and sighed at a loss as to what else to say.

"So..." Owen asked quietly as he reached over to take her hand, "what shade is crimson?"

"Well, it's sort of a cross between orange and red, but softer… you know, the color the sky turns on the rare times there is moisture in the air and the suns set?"

"Oh! That's crimson? I always called it orangey-red."

Beru had to cover her mouth again as she started giggling.

"Don't you laugh at me!" He reached around her with one arm and tickled her on both sides of the waist.

"Ah!" She squealed with laughter as she squirmed. She quickly snaked out an arm to tickle him under his armpit and laughed harder as Owen jumped and twisted away slightly. Then they were rolling around on the bed, laughing and tickling each other.

They suddenly stopped in unison and gazed into each other's eyes.

"Damn it," Owen whispered breathlessly, "I want you."

Beru leaned toward him to give him a kiss, but paused with a low moan when there was a knock upon the door. She leaned her forehead against his chest and whispered, "Dinner's ready."

Owen ran his fingers through her hair and whispered in her ear. "We'll continue this later."

She kissed Owen's cheek before whispering back, "I'll hold you to that."

"I'd rather you hold me to you." Then he closed his eyes and shook his head with a groan. "That made no sense."

Beru giggled just before the knock, louder this time, came again. "I guess we'd better answer."

"Yeah," he sighed as they both rose from the bed.

"Ugh!" Beru caught sight of herself in the mirror on Coolie's closet door. "My hair's an absolute mess!"

"It looks nice," Owen said as he gazed back at her on the way to the door.

"Hmph, I thought we agreed to total honesty."

"I am being honest!" He replied earnestly as she went into the refresher to fix her hair. He rolled his eyes as he muttered under his breath, "Women!" He then opened the door.

Dama stood outside the room, head lowered, and eyes looking at her feet. "Sorry to interrupt… again… but, dinner is ready."

"Thank you, Dama." Owen smiled.

The youngest Whitesun girl looked up at Owen and shyly smiled back. Then she looked past him with a frown. "Where's Beru?"

"She's in the refresher."

"Oh," she looked puzzled, "what was so funny?"

"Huh, when?"

"I heard the two of you laughing right before I knocked on the door, and afterwards I heard Beru giggling."

"Oh… that… um… I um… she…"

"Dama," called Tulii.

"Yes, mom?"

"You forgot the napkins, sweetheart."

"Oh, I'll be right there." She looked back up at Owen and shrugged with a sheepish grin as she whispered conspiratorially. "I can't see why we can't just use our sleeves when we're going to put the clothes in the laundry anyways." With that, she skipped down the hallway.

Owen chuckled as he watched her go, and then he looked back into his room at the refresher door. "Beru, are you coming?"

"Yes, are you?" She said in a teasing tone from outside the refresher door in the hallway.

He looked at Beru with a confused expression. "But, a second ago you weren't…" he closed his mouth and shook his head. "Never mind," he muttered as he strode over to Beru. He took both her hands in his and gently stroked the backs of her knuckles with his calloused thumbs. Looking into her eyes, he asks, "Ready for dinner?"

She nodded. "How's my hair look?"

He looked at her hair. "Beautiful, but then I liked it how it was before you fixed it, to."

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, and then smiled when she realized he was telling the truth. "Let's go." She slid one hand out of his, and turned to walk to the dining room with him.


	6. Chapter 6: Love Under the Suns

Several minutes later, after politely thanking Tulii and Beru, Owen stepped outside. "He looked off into the distance to see if he could see any sign of a landspeeder approaching. He did not look very hard, for he doubted Mik and Coolie would be back that night.

Soon, he turned his attention from the dessert waste, and a tall flower with white and gold petals caught his eye. He leaned over and inhaled. He closed his eyes and smiled at the fragrance. "You remind me of Beru."

He sighed and continued to talk to the flower as though it were Beru. "I wish I had the words to say what you mean to me. I'm not sure how you'll take this, but there hasn't been a night since we met I didn't dream of being with you. You are so beautiful. When you smile at me, my soul feels… I know this will sound weird… but, it feels like my soul is on fire, yet soothed at the same time… like a parched man in the desert finding an oasis and finally able to drink water. That's what you are to me, Beru," he cupped the flower in one hand, his first and second fingers on either side of the stem, "you are my water."

"I love you, too."

Owen jumped at the quiet voice behind him. "B-beru! I-i…" he sputtered as he turned to her, inadvertently breaking the flower off the stem. "Oh, no! I'm sorry, I…"

Beru smiled serenely as she gently placed a finger on his lips. She caressed his cheek, "It's alright, Owen, it will grow back."

"Um, how much did you hear?" He wondered.

"From when you told the flower it reminded you of me." She confessed with a slight tinge of humor in her voice.

"Oh." He swallowed nervously.

A mischievous glint lit her eyes as her face took on a mock thoughtful expression. "I'm not sure how to take it… that you'd rather speak to the flower than me."

Owen smiled slightly. "Perhaps it's because I know the flower won't tease me."

Beru giggled for a moment.

The small smile was still upon his lips as he reached up and put the blossom in her hair. "There… now I can speak to both of you at the same time." He said in a husky voice as they gazed into each other's eyes. "Beru," he whispered questioningly.

"Yes?" She whispered as well.

"Back at the bar…"

Beru averted her gaze as she backed away from him. "I'd rather forget about what happened there."

"Beru," he took her hand and gently put his other hand under her chin. Turning her head so she looked back up at him, he continued. "The reason I didn't ask you to dance is I can't. I have about as much rhythm as a bantha with its tail caught on fire."

She covered her mouth when she could not keep from giggling. "I'm sorry, but that's quite an image."

He chuckled as he conceded, "Yes, I guess it is, but it's true."

"I doubt that." She smiled up at him.

"Are you calling me a liar?" He raised his eyebrows in feigned offense.

"Never," she whispered. She squeezed his hand, which still held hers. "Maybe, if you don't know how to dance, I can teach you." She stepped closer to him.

"I'd like that."

Beru placed his hand on her waist and reached up to put her hand on his shoulder. "You start out most slow dances like this," she said as she took his hand with her other hand as their eyes locked on each other's.

Owen stepped closer to her and leaned his head down slowly. "I think I'm going to enjoy this lesson."

Beru held her breath in anticipation as she rose on the tip of her toes. Both she and Owen closed their eyes as their lips came closer to touching.

"It would be easier to teach him to dance if there were some music."

"Oh, Dama, must you keep interrupting?" Beru's voice rose in exasperation as she turned toward her sister.

The youngest of the Whitesun girls pouted as she said defensively, "You don't have to kill the messenger! Daddy sent me out to tell you he's turning on the shields now." With that, she turned to go back inside, mumbling something neither Beru nor Owen could quite catch.

Regretting talking to Dama the way she did, Beru sighed before calling after her sister. "I'm sorry, Dama!" Her shoulders slumped slightly when there was no reply.

Owen placed a hand on Beru's shoulder to comfort her. He tried to give her an encouraging smile when she looked up at him and spoke quietly. "She'll forgive you." Beru looked so sorrowful, he could not help but kiss her on the forehead as he embraced her. "Come on, let's go inside."

Beru returned Owen's embrace, relishing having his strong arms around her. "Ok," she looked up at him, "but first things first." She reached behind his head and pulled it down as she went onto the tips of her toes once more, and kissed him full on the lips.

Eyes widening in surprise, it took a moment for Owen to respond. When he did, it was with much enthusiasm. His heart beat wildly as exhilaration coursed through his veins.

Seconds later, they pulled away from each other and stared deeply into each other's eyes. "I love you." They said in unison. "I love you, too," they both replied to each other at the same time, and then started laughing.

Owen leaned his head forward to rest against hers with a sigh. "We'd better go inside." He lightly caressed her cheek.

Beru smiled and took his hand as she slowly pulled away. They walked inside together, their fingers entwined.


End file.
